Thirteen listed companies received the 2021 IR Award for best investor relations at a function in HCM City on Tuesday.

The awards, given by the Viet Nam Association of Financial Executives, FiLi.vn and Vietstock and decided by votes from investors and financial institutions, are given in three categories based on market capitalisation: large, medium and small and micro companies.

The top three voted by investors were Hoa Phat Group JSC, Novaland Investment Group Corporation and Sai Gon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (in the large-cap category); FPT Digital Retail Joint Stock Company, Hoa Sen Group and VNDirect Securities Corporation (mid-cap); and Hang Xanh Motors Service JSC, Danh Khoi Group JSC and Tan Cang Logistics & Stevedoring Joint Stock Company (small and micro cap).

The top three voted by financial institutions were Hoa Phat Group JSC, VinHomes JSC and Vietnam Dairy Products JSC; HCM City Securities Corporation, Ha Do Group JSC and VNDirect Securities Corporation; and Hang Xanh Motors Service JSC, Danh Khoi Group JSC and Tan Cang Logistics & Stevedoring Joint Stock Company.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Nguyen Nhu Hung, editor-in-chief of Fili.vn, said 2021 was a tumultuous year with the economy significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Vietnamese stock market remained positive, with the VN-Index going past 1,200, 1,300 and then 1,500.

More than 1.3 million new securities trading accounts were opened in the first 11 months, once again showing the attractiveness of the country’s stock market, he said.

“Transparent information is one of the key factors to ensure the development of the securities market.”

The annual awards seek to promote information transparency in the stock market, improve the quality of information disclosed and investor confidence, raise awareness of the role and importance of IR activities, and honour companies with outstanding IR, he added.

According to the organisers, the awards are based on a survey of compliance with stock market information disclosure requirements by the 724 companies listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange and Hanoi Stock Exchange, and 389 complied all.

Then, based on their liquidity, compliance in terms of treasury stocks, foreign investment, and dividend payments, 45 were nominated for the awards, they said.

For the first time the rate of companies fully complying with information disclosure regulations exceeded 50 per cent compared to just 3.3 per cent in 2012, they said.

Le Nhi Nang, chief representative of the State Securities Commission in HCM City, said the high compliance rate is a good sign and indicates companies are paying attention to information disclosure requirements, the basic requirement for treating investors fairly. — VNS